By now, you’ve probably seen the ads for workout fitness mirrors, whether on TV or up and down your social media feeds. It’s a cool concept, using connected technology to bring a boutique workout experience into your living room, complete with professional trainers barking words of inspiration. That said, the fitness industry has come out with some hokey products over the years, so you might be wondering if workout fitness mirrors are the next big thing — or just another fad.
To help settle the debate, the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute reviewed the first batch of workout fitness mirrors available to consumers, applying the same rigorous testing used with other fitness products, from running shoes to folding treadmills. “Since this is a newer category, we had to come up with test protocols that measure each mirror’s utility and value in real-world conditions, and not just what you see in those advertisements on Instagram,” says Rachel Rothman, chief technologist with the Good Housekeeping Institute. In the end, our experts focused on the following criteria, which can help you decide if a workout fitness mirror is right for you.
✔️ Installation and set up: A workout fitness mirror is a serious piece of equipment, often measuring 6 feet tall and weighing 100+ pounds (not to mention bearing a four-figure price tag in some cases). Most manufacturers offer shipping and assembly, though some charge as much as $250 while others provide the service for free. A wall-mounted mirror has a smaller footprint than a freestanding unit, though the latter often includes some sort of storage compartment for free weights, yoga blocks, resistance bands and other accessories. Think about the additional floor space required, as you’ll need room around the mirror to do your workouts; also make sure you have adequate height clearance as the manufacturer instructs.
As for set up, many mirrors have a touchscreen interface that you use to create your initial profile; a couple models we looked at don’t have a touchscreen, requiring you to download a separate app to get started and to program content. Our experts and testers alike generally preferred the more streamlined touchscreen experience.
✔️ The exercise content: While the mirror itself matters, you’re ultimately paying for the workout experience. Our experts considered the breadth of classes, which might include everything from HIIT and strength training to yoga and Pilates, and how robust the library is. We also assessed the overall quality of the instructors. It’s important to choose a workout fitness mirror that matches the kind of exercise you prefer. Note as well that some mirrors offer live training for a more personalized experience, while with others you’re downloading recorded classes.
If you like to jam out while you exercise, pay attention to the music options. Some workout fitness mirrors have native music programs, while others make it easy to stream your favorite playlists from your smartphone.
✔️ Storage and pricing: As we noted earlier, some workout fitness mirrors have built-in storage to handle an array of accessories. This is great if you’re going for the total gym experience. Just know that you’re firmly in splurge territory with these all-inclusive machines, which can cost many times more than a typical yearly gym membership. Not only that, all mirrors charge a monthly subscription fee to access their live and on-demand classes.
Here are the best workout fitness mirrors you can buy now: